Release Date
PremieredForensic Files Season 7 released on October 12, 2002.
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Sign In to Track ProgressSeasons
The Cheater
In the 1960s, for lead singer Walter Scott, The Cheater become his signature song and a hit single. But like so many others, Walter Scott was a one-hit wonder--never able to repeat the success with another song. After 14 straight years of preforming on the road, mostly one-nighters, Walter Scott disappeared. Many believed that the lyrics 'Watch Out for the Cheater' weren't just words, but an omen.
Forever Hold Your Peace
The Nancy DePriest Case. When a young man confessed to the rape and murder of a woman in a restaurant, police were convinced the case was solved. Eight years later, another man imprisoned for an unrelated crime, admitted HE committed the murder. But authorities viewed that admission as unfounded. They could not understand why an innocent man would confess to a crime he did not commit, and if he were innocent, why he said nothing during his eight years in prison.
Reel Danger
When two boys are viciously attacked while fishing in a nearby pond, authorities spring into action. They suspect a group of teenage thugs, but lack solid evidence. It would take the murky waters of a fishing hole to provide clear evidence, and help authorities reel in the boy’s attackers.
Who's Your Daddy
In 1988, the body of a young woman was discovered in an Ohio river under ice. Most of the evidence found at the crime scene -- hairs, fibers, & fingerprints-- had been washed away. But the victim's 6 year-old son unwittingly told investigators all they needed to know about the killer... and he did it without saying a word. The clues was in his genes.
The Alibi
In this classic episode of Forensic Files, the longest running true crime series in television history, we explore the case of 17-year-old Crystal Faye Todd, who was raped and murdered in her small town. When one of Crystal’s male acquaintances’ DNA matched semen at the crime scene, it raised the question, why would he volunteer for a DNA sample? Originally aired as Season 7, Episode 5.
A Bite Out of Crime
In 1995, a rapist was on the loose in Visalia, California. Evidence left by one of the victims at the crime scene, and the expertise of a forensic odontologist, put teeth in the prosecution’s case against the alleged perpetrator.
Purr-fect Match
A woman vanished from her home on Prince Edward Island. Her abandoned car was found in a field; inside, the windows were spattered with blood. During the search for her body, police found a plastic bag containing a pair of sneakers and a bloody leather jacket. On the jacket were white hairs that investigators discovered had come from a cat. Forensic testing on a cat had never been done before anywhere in the world. This case made history: It was the first time that animal DNA was used to solve a crime.
Bio-Attack
In 1984, hundreds of people in The Dalles, Oregon became ill with food poisoning. Local, state and federal disease detectives slowly unraveled the medical mystery. Along with a unique strain of bacteria, they discovered a religious cult's bizarre plot to overthrow the government -- using germ warfare.
A Shot in the Dark
When a woman is found dead of a gunshot wound, police conclude that she was murdered by her husband. Investigators theorized the couple had argued, and during the ensuing struggle, the husband shot his wife in the back and then staged the scene to make it look like a suicide. Forensic scientists were able to piece together the clues and determine what really happened. In doing so, they proved once again that truth is sometimes stranger than fiction.
Without a Prayer
Madalyn Murray O'Hair was America's best known athiest, principally responsible for abolishing prayer in public schools. In 1995, she mysteriously disappeared from her Texas home, along with her son Jon Murray and grand daughter Robin. Over $600,000 of their organization's money disappeared along with them. It was a local newspaper reporter playing forensic detective who helped solve the case.
A Clutch of Witnesses
While standing outside of a motorcycle gang’s clubhouse, two witnesses watched in horror as a truck intentionally ran over an unconscious man. The truck was finally located, but the forensics lab could not find a single speck of evidence in it. And the body didn’t turn up either. Originally aired as Season 7, Episode 11.
Scout's Honor
Police determine that the human remains found in a discarded box belong to one Edna Posey. But to find out when the murder took place, and whether the man accused of the crime is guilty, investigators turn to insects and the forensic entomologist who can interpret their behavior.
A Touching Recollection
An eighteen-year-old girl is abducted at gunpoint from her home in Jackson, Ohio. Fortunately the victim returns hours later, and police hope the tire impressions and shoe prints at the crime scene will enable them to find the perpetrator. But the victim knew something about forensic science, and she was determined to prove she had been in the assailant’s truck. The clues she left behind, and her recollection of details, led police straight to a career criminal.
A Leg to Stand On
When a severed leg is found in a dumpster, investigators are faced with the challenge of identifying the victim. Using anthropology, toxicology and DNA testing, police are able to determine who the victim was and follow the trail of evidence to his killer. Originally aired as Season 7, Episode 14.
Partners in Crime
Was the fire a cover up for a murder? Watch Forensic Files to get the answer.
Within a Hair
In 1996, a serial rapist preyed on women, both young and old, in South Bend, Indiana. Eventually, three victoms identified the same man as the perpetrator. But what happens when forensic evidence points to one man, while the victoms are pointing to another?
Chief Evidence
The 1996 Seattle murder of suburban couple Raquel Rivera & Jay Johnson. Investigators first believe the slayings were the result of a drug deal gone bad. However, no drugs are found in the house and the victims' blood isn't present on the clothing of the suspects. Evidence from the couple's dog Chief eventually ties one of the murderers to the scene. One of the first cases where dog DNA was used to convict.
A Bitter Pill to Swallow
After Michelle Baker became pregnant by boyfriend Dr. Maynard Muntzing, she noticed she became ill whenever they were together. The coincidences led her to suspect that he was doing her harm, so she set out to prove it.
Sip of Sins
In Wichita Falls, Texas, police had four unsolved murders-- the worst crime spree in the small town's history. For more then a decade, the killer successfully eluded police. But a discarded coffee cup in a trash bin solved the mystery.
Telltale Tracks
In Philadelphia a woman's car was found abandoned on the side of a busy highway... still running. But the driver was missing. At the scene, police found several clues. But was there enough forensic evidence to solve the mystery?
Ghost in the Machine
In 1999 a minister's wife was found dead in an overflowing bathtub in her home in South Dakota. Her cryptic suicide note left questions about her state of mind and her sense of time. Forensic science provided those answers.
Frozen in Time
A young woman stopped her car along a busy highway in California. She was never seen again. For three years, the search for her where-abouts continued, but the trail eventually turned cold. So cold that forensic scientists needed new techniques to solve it.
Cold Storage
The Tracy Jo Shine Case: A young girl falls in with the wrong crowd and then disappears. Her parents believe they had something to do with her vanishing.
The Metal Business
Having it all is a life long dream for Phil and his family.... or is it a dream for everybody? Watch Forensic Files to get the answer.
Dressed to Kill
When 6-year-old Michelle Door disappeared, her father became the prime suspect, having failed a polygraph. Years later, police learned that a man who’d been convicted of another murder lived just two doors away from Michelle when she disappeared. This discovery, and tiny drops of blood shed a decade earlier, helped police to solve the crime. Originally aired as Season 7, Episode 25.
Palm Print Conviction
The 1996 investigation into 48-year-old Martha Hansen's murder in Anchorage is helped by a legal requirement that bars have video cameras installed on the premises. Using video, hair and blood evidence, investigators determine that Evans Lee Curtis was the murderer.
A Vow of Silence
A mail order bride doesn't get the life she was promised.
Elephant Tracks
The Kowalczk/Thompson Murders. An elderly couple was bludgeoned to death in their home, but the crime went unsolved. Two years later, the owner of a pawn shop was looking through a stack of old newspapers and came across an article about the murders. There was a photograph of the victims, and the woman pictured was wearing an unusual elephant pendant necklace – a necklace which the owner realized was in her shop. Not only that, she still had the pawn ticket, identifying who had sold the jewelry.
A Bag of Evidence
When nine-year-old Jessica Knott disappeared from her home and was later found murdered, all of the tools in the arsenal of forensic scientists were brought to bear. Painstaking analysis of hairs, tiny fibers, and the plastic garbage covering her body lead police to a suspect – who turned out to be the same person who made what he thought was an anonymous 911-call, reporting where Jessica’s body could be found.
Tooth or Consequences
The investigation of the disappearance of a young woman leads police to a suspect who has a history of sexual assault, rape, and kidnapping. But police could not find the victim's body, making it more difficult to connect their suspect to the crime. Finally, police discover the remains of a charred tooth. Superimposed images and an analysis of the elements of a dental filling give investigators the proof they need to bring the perpetrator to justice.
The Sniffing Revenge
The Janet Overton Case. The sensitive nose of a forensic examiner sniffs out evidence of murder that had been right under their noses all the time.
Sleight of Hand
In 1981, police found a partial print near a doorknob at a crime scene. But without a suspect, police had no way to compare the print to the one million prints on file. 17 years later, new forensic technology changed that, breathing new life into what was a very old crime.
Scratching the Surface
In Miami, Florida, a sniper opened fire from the rooftop of a manufacturing plant, killing one employee and injuring two others in the parking lot below. When the gun was found, the police discovered that the shooter had scratched the serial number off of it to make it untraceable. But forensic scientists had a way to make the number reappear. Originally aired as Season 7, Episode 33.
Fire Proof
In 1992, residents in and around Seattle were terrified that their home -- or business -- or church -- would be the next target of a serial arsonist. More than 100 fires had been set, all apparently by the same person. This was the biggest arson case in American history, and it was solved with the help of behavioral profiling, hypnosis, and a skillful sketch artist.
X Marks the Spot
The local police and the FBI are stumped when a serial killer sends them a map to his latest victim. There is no way to find who sent the map until an Illinois State Trooper traces the map to Microsoft. WorldCom helps investigators map the killers' digital trail to his real name address, where police uncover a sickening dungeon where Maury Travis filmed himself murdering several of his victims.
All Charged Up
The Troy Graves Case: A serial killer plagues two different states. There is a lot of evidence but no suspect to connect it to. Until one day a woman recognizes the sketch artist drawing.
Breaking the Mold
The Melinda Ballard Case. When a healthy three-year-old boy suddenly developed respiratory and neurological problems, doctors couldn’t explain why. Then his father began to exhibit signs of Alzheimer’s Disease. His mother became ill while traveling in an airplane; fortunately, the passenger seated next to her made his living by removing toxic mold from buildings. When she told him about her family’s health problems, he suspected their home might be making them sick.
House Call
The murder of a well respected surgeon in an upscale waterfront apartment community left police in St. Petersburg, Florida baffled. Cell phone mapping, wiretapping and a host of other forensic evidence would uncover a twisted conspiracy, and bring the doctor's killers to justice.
Marathon Man
On February 14, 2000; Bob Dorotik's body was found on a mountain road near his family's horse ranch. His wife told police that Bob had gone jogging and never returned, but investigators had their doubts. He had been beaten and strangled, and it appeared that someone else had dressed him. Authorities began tracing the crime back to the family's ranch, leading them to think Bob Dorotik didn't leave home alone.
The Sniper's Trail
Virginia and Maryland are both plagued with serial sniper killers. These killers don't have a profile of their victims they just shoot at random. It will take all the help forensics has to solve this case.
Plastic Fire
Police say that a car crash, which killed an elderly woman, was murder and arson. The driver, the victom's daughter, insisted it was an accident. Two fire investigators came to two entirely different conclusions. Was it an accident... or murder?
Last Will
Seventeen-year-old Shari Faye Smith was abducted in broad daylight, in front of her own home. The kidnapper tormented her family with phone calls, leading them to believe Shari was alive -- and then they received a letter he'd forced Shari to write, her 'last will and testament'. This document would lead investigators to Shari's killer, a fitting postscript to a heinous crime.
Forensic Files
Season 7
Release Date
PremieredForensic Files Season 7 released on October 12, 2002.
Your Progress
Track your watching progress by signing in
Sign In to Track ProgressThe Cheater
In the 1960s, for lead singer Walter Scott, The Cheater become his signature song and a hit single. But like so many others, Walter Scott was a one-hit wonder--never able to repeat the success with another song. After 14 straight years of preforming on the road, mostly one-nighters, Walter Scott disappeared. Many believed that the lyrics 'Watch Out for the Cheater' weren't just words, but an omen.
Forever Hold Your Peace
The Nancy DePriest Case. When a young man confessed to the rape and murder of a woman in a restaurant, police were convinced the case was solved. Eight years later, another man imprisoned for an unrelated crime, admitted HE committed the murder. But authorities viewed that admission as unfounded. They could not understand why an innocent man would confess to a crime he did not commit, and if he were innocent, why he said nothing during his eight years in prison.
Reel Danger
When two boys are viciously attacked while fishing in a nearby pond, authorities spring into action. They suspect a group of teenage thugs, but lack solid evidence. It would take the murky waters of a fishing hole to provide clear evidence, and help authorities reel in the boy’s attackers.
Who's Your Daddy
In 1988, the body of a young woman was discovered in an Ohio river under ice. Most of the evidence found at the crime scene -- hairs, fibers, & fingerprints-- had been washed away. But the victim's 6 year-old son unwittingly told investigators all they needed to know about the killer... and he did it without saying a word. The clues was in his genes.
The Alibi
In this classic episode of Forensic Files, the longest running true crime series in television history, we explore the case of 17-year-old Crystal Faye Todd, who was raped and murdered in her small town. When one of Crystal’s male acquaintances’ DNA matched semen at the crime scene, it raised the question, why would he volunteer for a DNA sample? Originally aired as Season 7, Episode 5.
A Bite Out of Crime
In 1995, a rapist was on the loose in Visalia, California. Evidence left by one of the victims at the crime scene, and the expertise of a forensic odontologist, put teeth in the prosecution’s case against the alleged perpetrator.
Purr-fect Match
A woman vanished from her home on Prince Edward Island. Her abandoned car was found in a field; inside, the windows were spattered with blood. During the search for her body, police found a plastic bag containing a pair of sneakers and a bloody leather jacket. On the jacket were white hairs that investigators discovered had come from a cat. Forensic testing on a cat had never been done before anywhere in the world. This case made history: It was the first time that animal DNA was used to solve a crime.
Bio-Attack
In 1984, hundreds of people in The Dalles, Oregon became ill with food poisoning. Local, state and federal disease detectives slowly unraveled the medical mystery. Along with a unique strain of bacteria, they discovered a religious cult's bizarre plot to overthrow the government -- using germ warfare.
A Shot in the Dark
When a woman is found dead of a gunshot wound, police conclude that she was murdered by her husband. Investigators theorized the couple had argued, and during the ensuing struggle, the husband shot his wife in the back and then staged the scene to make it look like a suicide. Forensic scientists were able to piece together the clues and determine what really happened. In doing so, they proved once again that truth is sometimes stranger than fiction.
Without a Prayer
Madalyn Murray O'Hair was America's best known athiest, principally responsible for abolishing prayer in public schools. In 1995, she mysteriously disappeared from her Texas home, along with her son Jon Murray and grand daughter Robin. Over $600,000 of their organization's money disappeared along with them. It was a local newspaper reporter playing forensic detective who helped solve the case.
A Clutch of Witnesses
While standing outside of a motorcycle gang’s clubhouse, two witnesses watched in horror as a truck intentionally ran over an unconscious man. The truck was finally located, but the forensics lab could not find a single speck of evidence in it. And the body didn’t turn up either. Originally aired as Season 7, Episode 11.
Scout's Honor
Police determine that the human remains found in a discarded box belong to one Edna Posey. But to find out when the murder took place, and whether the man accused of the crime is guilty, investigators turn to insects and the forensic entomologist who can interpret their behavior.
A Touching Recollection
An eighteen-year-old girl is abducted at gunpoint from her home in Jackson, Ohio. Fortunately the victim returns hours later, and police hope the tire impressions and shoe prints at the crime scene will enable them to find the perpetrator. But the victim knew something about forensic science, and she was determined to prove she had been in the assailant’s truck. The clues she left behind, and her recollection of details, led police straight to a career criminal.
A Leg to Stand On
When a severed leg is found in a dumpster, investigators are faced with the challenge of identifying the victim. Using anthropology, toxicology and DNA testing, police are able to determine who the victim was and follow the trail of evidence to his killer. Originally aired as Season 7, Episode 14.
Partners in Crime
Was the fire a cover up for a murder? Watch Forensic Files to get the answer.
Within a Hair
In 1996, a serial rapist preyed on women, both young and old, in South Bend, Indiana. Eventually, three victoms identified the same man as the perpetrator. But what happens when forensic evidence points to one man, while the victoms are pointing to another?
Chief Evidence
The 1996 Seattle murder of suburban couple Raquel Rivera & Jay Johnson. Investigators first believe the slayings were the result of a drug deal gone bad. However, no drugs are found in the house and the victims' blood isn't present on the clothing of the suspects. Evidence from the couple's dog Chief eventually ties one of the murderers to the scene. One of the first cases where dog DNA was used to convict.
A Bitter Pill to Swallow
After Michelle Baker became pregnant by boyfriend Dr. Maynard Muntzing, she noticed she became ill whenever they were together. The coincidences led her to suspect that he was doing her harm, so she set out to prove it.
Sip of Sins
In Wichita Falls, Texas, police had four unsolved murders-- the worst crime spree in the small town's history. For more then a decade, the killer successfully eluded police. But a discarded coffee cup in a trash bin solved the mystery.
Telltale Tracks
In Philadelphia a woman's car was found abandoned on the side of a busy highway... still running. But the driver was missing. At the scene, police found several clues. But was there enough forensic evidence to solve the mystery?
Ghost in the Machine
In 1999 a minister's wife was found dead in an overflowing bathtub in her home in South Dakota. Her cryptic suicide note left questions about her state of mind and her sense of time. Forensic science provided those answers.
Frozen in Time
A young woman stopped her car along a busy highway in California. She was never seen again. For three years, the search for her where-abouts continued, but the trail eventually turned cold. So cold that forensic scientists needed new techniques to solve it.
Cold Storage
The Tracy Jo Shine Case: A young girl falls in with the wrong crowd and then disappears. Her parents believe they had something to do with her vanishing.
The Metal Business
Having it all is a life long dream for Phil and his family.... or is it a dream for everybody? Watch Forensic Files to get the answer.
Dressed to Kill
When 6-year-old Michelle Door disappeared, her father became the prime suspect, having failed a polygraph. Years later, police learned that a man who’d been convicted of another murder lived just two doors away from Michelle when she disappeared. This discovery, and tiny drops of blood shed a decade earlier, helped police to solve the crime. Originally aired as Season 7, Episode 25.
Palm Print Conviction
The 1996 investigation into 48-year-old Martha Hansen's murder in Anchorage is helped by a legal requirement that bars have video cameras installed on the premises. Using video, hair and blood evidence, investigators determine that Evans Lee Curtis was the murderer.
A Vow of Silence
A mail order bride doesn't get the life she was promised.
Elephant Tracks
The Kowalczk/Thompson Murders. An elderly couple was bludgeoned to death in their home, but the crime went unsolved. Two years later, the owner of a pawn shop was looking through a stack of old newspapers and came across an article about the murders. There was a photograph of the victims, and the woman pictured was wearing an unusual elephant pendant necklace – a necklace which the owner realized was in her shop. Not only that, she still had the pawn ticket, identifying who had sold the jewelry.
A Bag of Evidence
When nine-year-old Jessica Knott disappeared from her home and was later found murdered, all of the tools in the arsenal of forensic scientists were brought to bear. Painstaking analysis of hairs, tiny fibers, and the plastic garbage covering her body lead police to a suspect – who turned out to be the same person who made what he thought was an anonymous 911-call, reporting where Jessica’s body could be found.
Tooth or Consequences
The investigation of the disappearance of a young woman leads police to a suspect who has a history of sexual assault, rape, and kidnapping. But police could not find the victim's body, making it more difficult to connect their suspect to the crime. Finally, police discover the remains of a charred tooth. Superimposed images and an analysis of the elements of a dental filling give investigators the proof they need to bring the perpetrator to justice.
The Sniffing Revenge
The Janet Overton Case. The sensitive nose of a forensic examiner sniffs out evidence of murder that had been right under their noses all the time.
Sleight of Hand
In 1981, police found a partial print near a doorknob at a crime scene. But without a suspect, police had no way to compare the print to the one million prints on file. 17 years later, new forensic technology changed that, breathing new life into what was a very old crime.
Scratching the Surface
In Miami, Florida, a sniper opened fire from the rooftop of a manufacturing plant, killing one employee and injuring two others in the parking lot below. When the gun was found, the police discovered that the shooter had scratched the serial number off of it to make it untraceable. But forensic scientists had a way to make the number reappear. Originally aired as Season 7, Episode 33.
Fire Proof
In 1992, residents in and around Seattle were terrified that their home -- or business -- or church -- would be the next target of a serial arsonist. More than 100 fires had been set, all apparently by the same person. This was the biggest arson case in American history, and it was solved with the help of behavioral profiling, hypnosis, and a skillful sketch artist.
X Marks the Spot
The local police and the FBI are stumped when a serial killer sends them a map to his latest victim. There is no way to find who sent the map until an Illinois State Trooper traces the map to Microsoft. WorldCom helps investigators map the killers' digital trail to his real name address, where police uncover a sickening dungeon where Maury Travis filmed himself murdering several of his victims.
All Charged Up
The Troy Graves Case: A serial killer plagues two different states. There is a lot of evidence but no suspect to connect it to. Until one day a woman recognizes the sketch artist drawing.
Breaking the Mold
The Melinda Ballard Case. When a healthy three-year-old boy suddenly developed respiratory and neurological problems, doctors couldn’t explain why. Then his father began to exhibit signs of Alzheimer’s Disease. His mother became ill while traveling in an airplane; fortunately, the passenger seated next to her made his living by removing toxic mold from buildings. When she told him about her family’s health problems, he suspected their home might be making them sick.
House Call
The murder of a well respected surgeon in an upscale waterfront apartment community left police in St. Petersburg, Florida baffled. Cell phone mapping, wiretapping and a host of other forensic evidence would uncover a twisted conspiracy, and bring the doctor's killers to justice.
Marathon Man
On February 14, 2000; Bob Dorotik's body was found on a mountain road near his family's horse ranch. His wife told police that Bob had gone jogging and never returned, but investigators had their doubts. He had been beaten and strangled, and it appeared that someone else had dressed him. Authorities began tracing the crime back to the family's ranch, leading them to think Bob Dorotik didn't leave home alone.
The Sniper's Trail
Virginia and Maryland are both plagued with serial sniper killers. These killers don't have a profile of their victims they just shoot at random. It will take all the help forensics has to solve this case.
Plastic Fire
Police say that a car crash, which killed an elderly woman, was murder and arson. The driver, the victom's daughter, insisted it was an accident. Two fire investigators came to two entirely different conclusions. Was it an accident... or murder?
Last Will
Seventeen-year-old Shari Faye Smith was abducted in broad daylight, in front of her own home. The kidnapper tormented her family with phone calls, leading them to believe Shari was alive -- and then they received a letter he'd forced Shari to write, her 'last will and testament'. This document would lead investigators to Shari's killer, a fitting postscript to a heinous crime.